BMW Group or Bayerische Motoren Werke has been around since 1916. Its iconic logo depicts Bavaria’s state colors of blue and white – its state colors being blue and white respectively.

Economic protection for this company lies within their extensive intellectual property in automotive technology. Their drivetrains and power units consistently outshone competitors both in terms of efficiency and performance.

Economic Moat

Economic moats are forms of competitive advantage that provide sustainable profits that surpass industry averages. Economic Moats may take the form of intangible intellectual property like patents or brand identity for example; economies of scale or access to low-cost resources; they’re the foundation of value creation in companies and can often prove difficult to replicate.

Warren Buffett is well known for highlighting economic moats as part of his approach to investing. His views have helped make their existence more mainstream among investors; most recently he discussed them in almost every shareholder letter for Berkshire Hathaway. Due to this exposure, many investors want to identify companies with economic moats for their portfolios; but doing so involves much more than listening to analysts or reading financial reports; it requires understanding key aspects such as profitability, cash flow and market share of a business’ fundamentals if successful identification can occur.

Alongside these intangible factors, it’s also important to evaluate an industry’s competitive structure. A highly competitive environment can limit profit growth while making a wide economic moat unlikely.

An efficient competitor may introduce products or services that are cheaper or faster to produce, better customer service or an innovative marketing approach that makes it harder for the original company to retain its advantage. Such tactics indicate narrow moats in businesses; investors should avoid investing in them.

BMW stands as an outstanding example of a company with an enviable economic moat. Its premium brands are recognized globally and boast solid quality credentials, leading to BMW commanding prices higher than industry norms which enable it to generate excess returns.

Even amid recent volatility in the automotive sector and concerns regarding Chinese demand, we continue to believe BMW’s economic moat is underappreciated by investors. Focusing on luxury, premium, and ultraluxury segments while paying meticulous attention to every detail have allowed them to generate long-term excess returns for investors.

Innovation

BMW Group is renowned for its innovation. Not just with vehicles; this German automotive giant also pioneered new business models. At TNW2019, Bernhard Schambeck will discuss how BMW has integrated startups into its development process to help boost internal innovation processes.

This company doesn’t merely aim to invest large sums of cash in startups and then force legal obligations and demand huge percentages of the shares from them – instead they prefer taking an approach with no strings attached, using small teams based in technology hotspots globally to assess around 1,500 startups annually for potential collaborations.

BMW is looking for innovations that can enhance its production, IT systems and sales and marketing operations – but Schambeck stresses to TNW that this search is not exclusive to cars – rather it covers innovations with wider applications, such as medical tech innovations.

Startups may submit an online application to apply for this program; however, selection is competitive – between 600 and 800 startups are reviewed each year. If their company fits with BMW Group well enough, a pilot project could then be established between them and them.

BMW can use this method to test out new ideas without expending resources or giving up equity or shares in a startup company. Furthermore, they provide support in areas like product testing and getting it to market efficiently.

BMW presented its radar technology to one startup last year as part of this programme; that firm is now working closely with engineers at their autonomous driving campus to further enhance it. Another, QC Ware, is exploring how quantum computing could help optimise manufacturing processes.

BMW has recognized that not all innovation comes from technology; some of their greatest breakthroughs have come from human perspectives. One such plant was Regensburg’s, chosen as “Lighthouse of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” due to incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies to reduce logistics costs and boost productivity.

Customer Base

BMW boasts an expansive and diverse customer base. Their luxurious brand image attracts high-net-worth individuals who prioritize quality and performance, and finance options to meet varying budgets are also offered by them. Their marketing campaigns use emotional appeals to connect with customers; such as ads that highlight driving joy. Furthermore, BMW partners with fashion and sports brands to expand its brand and reach new audiences.

The BMW Group’s Financial Services segment offers credit financing, leasing, fleet management and customer deposit business to retail and dealer customers worldwide. Their multi-brand fleet business (Alphera) offers financing and extensive vehicle fleet management services across 19 countries; their banking and insurance segments also provide comprehensive services for corporate customers while BMW FS operates an extensive network of retail finance stores as well as online/mobile banking solutions.

BMW’s dedication to innovation has given them an edge in the automotive industry. Their products boast high technical sophistication, while they invest heavily in research and development; this has allowed them to develop innovative new technologies and build up an advantage on global markets. Furthermore, their robust presence in emerging markets ensures continued growth while simultaneously increasing profitability.

The BMW Group maintains manufacturing facilities in Germany, the US, China, India and Brazil. Their Germany plants boast high capacity; expansion projects have also been initiated to meet growing demand. Furthermore, production of electric vehicles has also increased. However, BMW faces several challenges related to rising raw material costs; aluminum and steel prices have increased, which has reduced profit margins significantly and jeopardized sustainability; this concerns investors looking for bonds issued by BMW.

Competition

BMW stands out in a world filled with luxurious brands vying for customer consideration by creating cars with unparalleled combinations of agility, power and class. Their cars boast remarkable agility when driving corners at high speed; its X6M Competition car proves this perfectly; offering exhilarating acceleration and precise control to leave you breathless as soon as you hit the accelerator pedal! Perfect for drivers wanting the thrill of driving style; Capital Exotic offers exotic car rentals in DC so that they can experience this remarkable machine first-hand!

BMW’s Spartanburg plant, situated in South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, has become an epicenter for mobility innovation. A study conducted by this facility estimated its economic impact as being worth 89 billion dollars through marketing, sales and financial services activities alone.

Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and General Motors are BMW’s five main direct competitors, employing approximately one million worldwide. Porsche in particular is becoming an important influencer culture icon among young people; yet BMW continues to outperform Porsche both in sales and profits.